Arim
The Arim, or Sand-Gnomes, are the Shadowmage's favoured troops. Whilst not as numerous as the Shaku, the Astomi are both stronger and smarter. They are steadfast and loyal, and dedicate their lives to serving their master. RACIAL ORIGINS The origins of the Arim are unclear, though it is certain they are descended originally from Dwarves. The Elven scholars believe they were bred by the Shadowmage or some other Dark force, using Dwarven stock. The Arim themselves have a myth: When the Kanusarn crashed to the Earth, millenia ago, it landed upon a mountain range inhabited by Dwarves. The mountains themselves were crushed, and the land burned to a desert. The greedy Dwarves, lured by the golden light, were burned and blinded by the glow. All hair was destroyed, and their eyes melted together. These Dwarves became the Arimaspi. POLITICAL STRUCTURE The Arim are usually lead by the Mo'Bes, who is equivalent to the king. The Mo'Bes is the overall leader of the Arim, and unites the various clans. In Daenor, the Mo'Bes is chosen by the Shadowmage from amongst the Or'Bes, and serves the Dark Master without question. Each individual Clan is lead by an Or'Bes, who leads them into battle, and governs the cities and fortresses of the clan. The Or'Bes are chosen according to lineage, usually a strong and influential Bes'a family, though this lineage can be challenged if the Arim is considered to weak to rule. In this case, a duel ensues, with the victor gaining the throne. These are rare events, as the Or'Bes blood-line is revered and respected by the Arim, but it is not unknown for an entire dynasty to be ended by an aggressive dissident. SOCIAL STRUCTURE The Arim live in clans or 'Gursu,' large societies based on kinship and ancestry. A gursu usually consists or about 1000 to 5000 Arim. Clan members usually dwell together, in one large city, or a grouping of small villages and fortresses. They are very territorial, and defend their lands passionately. The largest Gursu in Daenor is Gur-Balrak, which occupies the region south of Carakum. Arim society is divided into three castes-The Bes'a, the Kabulah and the Kimri. The Bes'a are the highest class, and comprise the specialist blacksmiths, goldsmiths and armourers, the professions on which the Arim economy is based. The middle class is the Kabulah, the warriors and hunters. The final class is the Kimri- the injured and disabled, who have no skill or use to the Arim society. Most of the time, Kimri are cast out, or in rare cases, eaten by the stronger Arim. It is worth noting that the Arim females have no caste of their own, and are classed as Mi'rim. The females are allowed no positions of power, and are solely restricted to cooking, weaning and mating. A female's only status is dependent on her husband or mate's. A Bes'an is allowed to have up to six life-mates, a Kabulahn 3, and a Kimri only one. This only applies to Arim females; females of other species are often used as slaves and mates, and are not counted towards the total. The Mo'Bes and Or'Bes are allowed as many wives as they want. MILITARY STRUCTURE Every male Arim from the Kabulah is expected to learn how to fight and hunt from the age of 12. The entire Kabulah caste is considered a standing army, though in times of peace the soldiers double-up as hunters. Hunting and skirmish units are usually divided into 10 Arim, called a Ri'kora, and are lead by the most veteran warrior. Sometimes, when working for the Shadowmage, the veteran is replaced by an Astom. CURRENCY The Arim are responsible for minting the currency for all of Daenor and her states. The coins are as follows: *''Bes- 2 cm gold coin, worth 1gp. One face has the Horned Bat, the other has the tower of Carakum. '' *''Miro- 2cm silver coin, worth 5bp. One face has the Horned Bat, the other a spider. '' *''Kihm- 2cm copper coin, worth 6cp. One face has the Horned Bat, the other has one eye. '' *''Liok- 2cm tin coin, worth 1tp. One face has a the Horned Bat, the other has a dragon. '' Whilst the Arim do use the coinage for trade inside the clan, externally they generally use bartering. It is considered bad practice to allow too much gold to leave the clan. APPEARANCE The Arim are short and stocky, averaging around 4'5, and are completely bald. Their skin is tough and leathery, and has a yellow tint. Their noses are wide and flat, and they possess only one eye, in the centre of their forehead. Most wear very little clothing, except in cold climates. The Kabulah usually wear a mismatch of armour, of varying qualities. Whilst the Arim produce fine armour, they much prefer to sell it to outsiders, for vast sums of gold. Only the Or'Bes and Mo'Bes possess fine weapons and armour. HOUSING The Arim live in large cities or towns, preferably in hot climates. Their houses are usually made of sandstone or mud-brick, and are large structures. Whilst usually only one story high, the houses are usually built with vast underground complexes beneath them. The Arim prefer their privacy however, and these caverns very rarely join with those of their neighbours. The Upper house is usually the location of the smithies and living chambers, whereas the harems and bedrooms are kept underground, warmed by massive fires which remove the chill. The centre of the towns are usually occupied by the Palace of the Or'Bes, as well as the Clan totem. Any enemies killed are usually behead, and their heads displayed around the city walls. DIET The Arim are fond of meat, of any kind. Their usual diet is boar, rabbit or deer, usually served with roots or fungus, or certain spiders. They are particularly fond of wolf meat, but this is usually difficult for them to obtain, especially considering the Orcish fondness for the animals. It is rare but not unknown for the Arim to turn to cannibalism, if a better food is unavailable. The Arim have a strong palate, and generally season their foods with very strong spices. WORSHIP Whilst not overly religious, the Arim respect the Black religion, and still supply sacrifices to the dark priests. Like other dwarfs, they respect and worship their ancestors, and often build totems to them in the centre of their towns. They believe all dead Arim go to Kil'aka, the First Arim, where they are judged. Those who have done well are given as much drink, food and women as they desire. Those who have done bad are reincarnated as slugs. For this reason slugs are sacred creatures to the Arim. STATS ST: +10 CO:+10 QU: -5 AG: -5 PR: 0 SD: 0 IN: -5 ME: 0 EM: -5 RE: 0 LU: -5 APP: -5 ADOLESCENT SKILLS Body Dev 3 Weapon 1 3 Weapon 2 1 Perception: Sight 4 Mining 2 1 Stone Craft 2 1 Smithing 2 Religion: Gurbereth 1 History: Arim 1 MIA: R. Leather 3 Hunting 1 Language: Daenor 7 Background Pts. 35 Category:Daenor Category:Races Category:Udum Category:Arim Category:Dwarves